Pages

15 Feb 2013

More seawatching

Last Saturday saw me driving over to Hilbre in the dark with Cheshire year listers Mark Payne & Phil Oddy. Arriving just after 07.10 we treated ourselves to a well earned cooked breakfast before embarking on a marathon seawatch from the hide. As it was also WeBs count day we spent a good 4 hours in the hide noting down everything we saw.

Groucho does the business in the kitchen.

Although the wind was in the SE (and bitterly cold) hopes were high the recent stormy weather further north may have driven some unusual birds south to seek shelter. Expectations were high and we weren't disappointed. Although the hoped for Long-tailed Duck or rare grebe didn't materialise we did score with all three diver species with the Black-throated Diver once again showing just before high tide before swimming further out to sea. A Great Northern Diver was picked up flying further out before pitching in on the sea and there were good numbers of Red-throated Divers for comparison.

Although there were plenty of Common Scoter we didn't pick up any Velvets amongst them - one of these days one of the Llandulas Surf Scoters will also head our way.....................

17 Purple Sandpipers roosted over the tide in their usual spot and the Brent Geese numbered well in excess of 200.

﻿

As the tide ebbed the Purple Sandpipers came out to play and once again provided good photo opportunities.

Sundays weather was piss poor with rain all day. A day to stay in read the papers and watch England beat Ireland in the Rugby. As well as the female Brambling photographed in the garden a few weeks back a male made an appearance but was incredibly shy and I had to settle for a photo through the conservatory window.

No comments
:

Total Pageviews

Search This Blog

Loading...

Lists.

UK BOU: 509 DUSKY THRUSH

Cheshire & Wirral: 305 Western Sandpiper - armchair tick!

Garden List: 128 Spotted Flycatcher

For Mr Eden - total UK list: 516

What this blogs about.

Welcome to my blog about birding on the Wirral, in Cheshire and beyond. This blog will be updated regularly to include photographs of birds (and other wildlife) I've photographed both in the UK and abroad. Enjoy!#

All photo's are taken by me unless specified and I retain the copyright. Photos shall not be used for any other purpose without express permission.

About Me.

Moved to the Wirral in 1983 and settled there after marrying in 1986. I've been birding since I was 7 or 8 - it was that long ago I can't remember!
My formative years were spent in Suffolk and birds became a passion in my teens. I started twitching when still at school but began seriously whilst at University in the late 70's and early 80's. Yes I am old enough to remember Nancy's cafe!
Took a bit of a break due to other committment but now able enjoy getting out birding both locally and for long distance twitches and trips.
Married to my beautiful wife Janet since 1986 and have two grown-up children.
I've been lucky in that work has taken me to many countries and I've always managed to do a bit of birding wherever I go. The only continent I've yet to visit is Antarctica!
I first became interested in photography whilst still at school and used an old Zenith SLR with a Tamron 300 mm lens. I've rediscovered my earlier interest and have graduated to digital - much easier to use for an amateur like me! My kit now includes a Nikon D7100, Nikon D7000, Nikon F4 500, Nikon F2.8 300, Nikon 80-400, Nikon 1.4 & 2.0 x teleconverters.

Followers

Popular Posts

Biography

I've been birding since I was a kid - I got my first pair of Prinz 8 x 30 binoculars aged 9 and these saw me through until we moved to Suffolk in 1971. On my first visit to Minsmere I realised the old binoculars had to go.....................................

My first solo twitch was in Suffolk when, in December 1977 when a Sociable Plover turned up at Great Henny - a 12 mile push bike ride but I had to get Dad to collect me in the car as I was so cold I couldn't move and took refuge in a telephone box!

I trained as a ringer at Wicken Fen in the 70's whilst still at school but let my licence lapse when I left University and worked abroad. I've subsequently retrained and ring extensively with Hilbre Island Bird Observatory & the SCAN ringing group.